Women fed up with their jobs are 'more likely to turn to comfort eating'

Women who are fed up with their jobs are more likely to turn to food for comfort in times of stress, according to a Finnish study.

The study, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found  women who reported work burnout were more likely to develop an 'emotional' eating habit. This meant they would snack when they were stressed, anxious or down, rather than when they were just hungry.

They were also more prone to 'uncontrolled' eating - the feeling that you're always hungry or can't stop eating until all the food's gone.

Study leader Nina Nevanpera, of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, said: 'Those experiencing burnout may be more vulnerable to emotional eating and uncontrolled eating and have a hindered ability to make changes in their eating behavior.'

'We recommend that burnout should be treated first and that burnout and eating behavior should be evaluated in obesity treatment.'

The findings are based on 230 women aged 30 to 55 who were part of a clinical trial looking at healthy lifestyle changes. All were employed, and at the start of the trial they completed surveys on job burnout and eating habits.

Overall, 22 per cent of the women had some degree of work burnout. As a group, they scored higher on measures of emotional eating and uncontrolled eating.

On top of that, women who did not have job burnout at the study's start tended to cut down on uncontrolled eating over one year. But, on average, the burnout group failed to make that change.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2114270/Women-fed-jobs-likely-turn-comfort-eating.html#ixzz1p0auatSO